Summative Reflection

The Master of Distance Education and E-learning program has been a challenging and rewarding endeavor for me. I had been in the workforce for many years before I decided to pursue my interest in education and training. I had not studied the field during my undergraduate days, but it had always been a personal interest that I wanted to turn into a professional endeavor. I wanted to obtain a quality education but I knew I could not take time to physically go to class during the day. I knew nothing about DE and E-learning, but when I learned about that method and the UMUC MDE program, it seemed like the obvious choice to me. Later when I joined the program, I realized DE and E-learning had begun and in many ways continued to be for people just like me: those with a passion to learn or increase their education but with the responsibilities of daily life and making a living. Training contexts of DE and E-learning in the workplace offer similar opportunities to train personnel while minimizing disruptions to their work.

I learned about all aspects of DE and E-learning while in the program, and as time went on I made deep intellectual and applied connections between various components and underlying theories, technologies, instructional design, teaching and learning, library and intellectual property, costs and economics, leadership, learner support, learning and development in the workplace, training and learning with multimedia, and teaching and learning in K-12 schools. I also learned research methods and practices and was able to design and complete an independent research project for my Capstone course at the end. It has been a tough and rewarding process of learning, which has prepared me professionally for continued learning, research, thinking and application of DE and E-learning concepts and practices.

I learned to apply the knowledge I had constructed in my classes and the program towards solving real problems and proposing practical and accurate solutions. I made meaningful connections between each aspect of the DE and E-learning and have gained practical overarching knowledge of the field, which I look forward to applying when and where consultation, planning, or management for DE and E-learning are needed. I am so glad to have chosen my professional studies in a field that helps people and companies make their lives better and improve.